


Flaming Locks and Eyes of Amber Grain

by Sun_Spark



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Archie angsts, Cheryl is a little shit, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Fluff, Guitars, Happy Ending, Inspired by Jolene (Dolly Parton), Jarchie - Freeform, Jolene - Freeform, Jughead sings, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, New Relationship, Song Lyrics, Song rewrite, Songs, Tiny bit of Angst, alterned song lyrics, and plays music, and sings, but it's jughead soooo, but she's good, it's mild, its mild though, jarchie feels, jughead pines, kevin too, light cursing, teen rating is for the cursing, the gang watches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-26 00:35:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19756981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sun_Spark/pseuds/Sun_Spark
Summary: Jughead Jones thinks the school is deserted, so he picks up the school guitar and begins to play, singing with altered lyrics to express emotions deeply hidden away.Archie Andrews and the gang hear Jughead playing in the not so empty school and observe, entranced. Through Jughead's song, revelations are made and Archie starts to wrestle with long-forgotten emotions of a love just a bit too strong to be for a best friend.~Or~Jughead and Archie have been in love for a long time but have hidden from each other it out of fear, and music heals all ails, or so they say.





	Flaming Locks and Eyes of Amber Grain

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Miley Cyrus' version of Dolly Parton's song 'Jolene' - I changed the lyrics to fit Jughead and Archie though.  
> Here's her music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOwblaKmyVw

It wasn't exactly a secret that Jughead Jones could play the guitar, he just never felt the need to share that detail with anyone but his closest friends, so only Archie and Betty knew.

He didn't play for them, too self-conscious for that, but occasionally he would pick up Archie's instrument and pluck out a simple melody. Even rarer, maybe Archie might stand quietly, enraptured, as Jughead really played, soft notes melting together in the air. But never, never had Archie, or anyone else, heard him sing.

He should never have been so reckless. Never should have stayed after school, never should have followed the comforting memories of Archie's music to the music room, never should have picked up that guitar, never should have let his emotions get so strong as to break him. And he never, ever should have forgotten about the pep rally keeping everyone at school late.

But should and shouldn't were rather irrelevant in the face of reality, when faced with 'had' and 'hadn't'. He hadn’t let himself dwell on any of these things, any of the possibilities, any of the possible consequences, he'd been moving on instinct, lost in a haze. 

All he could be sure of was the pulsing ache in his chest, and tightness in his ribs, the feeling of tears choking him but refusing to fall. He hadn’t been aware of much other than the silence, the emptiness of the halls. Of the sight of hazy sunlight, filtering through the dust dancing lazily in the air and glinting off of the guitar, sat peacefully on its stand like a beacon in a stormy sea.

He hadn’t thought when he’d picked it up, hadn’t considered as he perched on a stool and rested the instrument's weight against his leg. Hadn't had a single, conscious thought in his mind as his fingers moved, danced across the strings, plucking out a melody he hadn't realized he knew how to play but that felt so right, so natural.

The voice he normally kept choked behind a muzzle of doubt and self-conscious fear spun through the air, dancing to the tune his hands played, and he didn't try to stop it, didn't even think as it painted a picture he'd been trying so hard to ignore as it pierced his heart.

_Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene_  
_I'm begging of you please don't take my man_  
_Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene_  
_Please don't take him just because you can_

It never occurred to him to close the door he'd never consciously chosen to open, to make sure no one was around in the deserted school, and so he didn’t notice the steps that stopped just outside. 

If he had he would have stopped, would have set down that guitar, locked his voice back in its cage and thrown away the key. He would have known that Betty Cooper, Cheryl Blossom, Fangs, Sweet Pea, Kevin, and Archie Andrews were standing just out of sight, frozen in varying shades of surprise and shock bleeding into curiosity.

As it was he didn't notice, and so his voice did not wither but grew and bloomed, strength and clarity rising to let ring clear emotion.

_Your beauty is beyond compare  
With flaming locks of auburn hair  
With golden skin and eyes of amber grain_

No one commented on the change of lyrics, though looks of surprise and gestures of questions were shared amongst the group, all except Archie who only had eyes, and ears, for his best friend. Jughead himself hadn't chosen to change the lyrics, but instead sang from the heart, believing no one else would ever hear these words bring to life a hidden pain.

_Your smile, like a winter wind  
Your voice is deep like stormy rain  
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene_

Gasps and whispers broke out and as the others glared one another into silence, Cheryl's eyes narrowed. The Jones boy had changed the lyrics, the eyes, the voice, the skin tone, yet he left the red hair. That was personal, and likely what had drawn him to this particular song in the first place. Her eyes narrowed, limited suspects, really there were only two...she grinned wickedly as her eyes tracked from Jughead to fiery red locks. It wasn't her.

Archie stared at his best friend with wide eyes. On the one hand, he was enraptured, held a breathless prisoner to the beauty of Jughead's song, but on the other...He swallowed thickly, sickness crawling into his gut. This song was personalized, and as much as he didn't want to make it about himself...he was suddenly terrified he'd ruined his best friend's happiness once again, like he always seemed to do.

_He talks in his sleep  
There's nothing I can do to keep  
From crying when it’s not my name he calls, Jolene_

The friend's reeled, blanching and they once again traded staring at Jughead agog with trading stares between themselves of shock. Who was he talking about? Most of them glanced at Cheryl, wondering which boy the Red Vixen had stolen away from their dark friend. The smirk firmly entrenched on Cheryl's lips didn't do much to portray her innocence. Archie didn't look at any of them. He felt sick, even if he hadn't caused this, he'd sung enough songs as a last resort to deal with his pain not to recognize the truth and real emotion behind Jughead's song. He wanted to cry, for both of them, and he wanted desperately to fix whatever this was hurting his friend.

_And I can easily understand  
How you could easily take my heart  
But you don't know what you mean to me, Jolene_

Everyone but Cheryl blanched, some even taking a step back, physical action taking the place of a verbal exclamation. Fangs and Sweet Pea began making frantic gestures at one another, faces twisting to express high emotions in place of words. Cheryl only smirked wider and kept a watchful eye as Archie's poorly constructed mask hiding his pain for his friend crumpled to bare both pain and confusion.

_Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene_  
_I'm begging of you please don't take my man_  
_Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene_  
_Please don't take him just because you can_

Furrowed brows were never attractive, but Kevin almost pulled them off with that pout, Betty though...ugh, no. Cheryl shook herself, careful to keep her hand steady, and settled for watching Archie imitate a puppy, a curious puppy who was frightened but also oh so eager with whiskey eyes turned wide toward his raven-haired friend. She kept an ear turned to the Serpent King, enjoying both the visual and auditory portions of this show.

_You could have your choice of them.  
But I could never love again  
You're the only one for me, Jolene_

Betty had gone pale, apparently shock wasn't her color. Kevin, it seemed, didn't know what to think, but as he peered at Cheryl curiously, she grinned widely when his gaze shifted to the other redhead present, a dawning look of shocked understanding lighting up his eyes and slackening his jaw. She pursed her lips and winked at him, triggering a smirk and a nod in return promising silence.

_I had to have this talk with you  
My happiness depends on you  
And whatever you decide to do, Jolene_

While everyone remained quiet, Cheryl almost gave them away by laughing, barely holding it down at the sight of Sweet Pea, gentle ruffian, and Fangs, loyal sweetheart, looking for all the world like they wanted to find whoever dared deny their King happiness and make them regret breathing. Oh, if only they knew! Her smirk grew almost devious in the place of her stifled laugh.

_Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene_  
_I'm begging of you please don't leave me now_  
_Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene_  
_Please don't choose them even though you can_

He sighed as he set the instrument down, carefully resting it on its stand, fingertips reverently tracing over its deep redwood finish. A scuffed noise, quite in the world, sounded like a gunshot in his ears and he whirled around to see his audience. Anger flared in his chest, filling his lungs with living fire begging to be spewed forth in wrath. Blue-green eyes turned flinty with coverings of ice, their color disappearing into the light grey of a roiling storm. He drew a breath, began to speak, but stopped, icy eyes thawing ever so slightly as they locked on the one person now facing him.

Archie had walked into the room, pushing the door almost completely closed behind him at the murderous look on Jughead’s face, blocking his view from the faces of his friends. The one face he could see now was a mask made of patchwork, each square and thread a different emotion, a different shard of his soul bared openly, all trying so hard to fit together into a calm facade.

Archie Andrews stared at his longtime friend and Jughead, startled and defensive as he was, stared back into open eyes. What he saw there gave him pause from his half-thought excuses and plans of leaving. In golden brown depths he saw pain, sadness, and heartbreak, both for himself and for Archie too. He hated seeing those, hated seeing his closest friend's eyes fade to dull brown in his unhappiness. But he saw something else there too, a spark of honey-colored light, barely a pinprick near the center of his irises, blooming out like an expanding star to color a brown sky in whiskey light. Hope. And maybe something more.

So he didn’t move, he stayed where he was as the boy he trusted more than anyone else stepped closer to him and held his gaze with those lighting eyes. "Jug?"

His voice was breathless, and it made Jughead's breath leave his body, every corner of his lungs suddenly empty of life-giving oxygen. It's funny really, drowning isn’t peaceful, it's excruciating until you pass out. He was drowning now, but he didn’t feel panic or pain, and he wasn’t unconscious yet.

Archie swallowed thickly, adam’s apple bobbing as he looked to the side, catching Jughead’s eye. Clearing his throat lightly, Archie stayed back but hung his head forward a bit, the way he did when he was trying to catch Jughead’s eye without crowding him. “Uh, something you want to talk about Juggie?” He asked tentatively.

Jughead snorted and made to walk past him, “What, can’t figure it out, Archie?” He sniped defensively. He didn’t get far as fingers trailed gently over his arm, gripping him lightly at his elbow and holding him in place. Archie didn’t quite look at him, eyes falling somewhere near the raven-haired boy’s collarbone. “I thought I did…But now I’m just confused again.”

Jughead sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “What do you want me to say, Archie?” He asked tightly, “Song didn’t make it clear?” His hand pressed into his eyes, sending sparks shooting through his vision behind closed eyelids. “Well then let me spell it out for you: I’m in love with my best friend. Have been for a really fricking long time but didn’t realize it until about a month ago. Doesn’t matter because nothing’s going to come of it, and I had no intention of anyone ever knowing.” He growled quietly. “Thought this damn school was empty.”

He dropped his hand and stared at the floor in front of him, tense and really wishing to be anywhere else but not pulling away from Archie yet. If he was going to lose this, he’d rather make the caring part last a little longer. God, he was pathetic.

Archie stared at him with wide eyes for the span of a breath, then looked away, flushing lightly. His stomach clenched and his throat tightened, not sure if he could get the words out. His eyes tracked the dust swirling in lazy patterns in the sunlight and followed it until his gaze landed on a deep red glint: The guitar. Staring at it, he made a decision and took a deep breath. Softly, tentatively he whispered, “And what if you weren’t the only one Jug?”

Jughead looked at him sharply and Archie hesitantly met his gaze, not looking at him dead on. “What…what if you weren’t the only one who fell for your best friend?”

Jughead stared at him for a tense minute, eyes wide, then the shutters slammed shut and the last traces of bright blue fled under the rush of hurricane grey. He growled none too softly, voice dipping dangerously “ ** _Don’t_** screw with me, Archie.” He made to yank his arm out of the redhead’s lax grip, but said grip suddenly became like iron as Archie glared at him, this time meeting his gaze full on. Jughead glared right back but froze at what he saw. Copper browns with small specks of amber turned violently to shining sunlight lit whiskey.

“I’m **_not_**.” He snapped. He took a deep breath and looked away, forcing his sudden anger down before meeting Jughead’s eyes again. His eyes did not lose any of their bright color, though they softened now. Jughead’s eyes, he could see, had the first traces of blue seeping back in through the cracks in the storm clouds. He sighed quietly, “I’m not screwing with you Juggie. I swear.” 

Jughead relaxed a fraction, peering at him from narrowed eyes. “You’re serious?”  


Archie grinned, a little broken, a tad rough around the edges, and no small amount of scared, but genuine. “Yeah. Yeah Juggie, I am.”

Jughead let himself relax a fraction more, forcibly ignoring the sound of his anxiety and depression screaming at him in his head, focusing his attentions fully on the redhead in front of him. “When?” At the questioning look he received, he clarified, voice a bit gentler and much quieter than it had been before. “When did you figure it out, Archie?”

Archie shrugged, gaze falling to the floor as a light red colored his skin. “I’m not sure, a long time Jug, years ago.” He huffed a soft laugh, shaking his head gently. “It scared me. I didn’t think you would feel the same, and I was terrified I’d lose my best friend because of it, so I made myself forget about it, wouldn’t let myself think about it.” By the end he was almost whispering, Jughead heard him all the same.

The raven-haired boy sighed, more out of frustration than anything else, frustration at what or whom, he really wasn’t sure right now. He scrubbed a hand over his face. Leaving it over his eyes as he quietly ground out, “What do you want Archie?”

Archie’s brows drew together, not entirely sure he knew what the question was, but he tried to answer all the same. “I…” He sighed heavily, prompting Jughead to scoff and drop his hand like a dead weight, the echo of it hitting his leg sounded like thunder in the room as he looked at Archie. “You don’t even know. Figures, after all, you _‘forgot’_ for so long, why would you know now?” He asked bitterly, moving once again to leave. Archie's grip stopped him.

“ _No-!_ That’s not what I meant!” Archie sighed heavily under the weight of Jughead’s defensive glare, ducking his head for a moment. Cautiously he peered up at Jughead through his bangs. “Look, Jug, I know what I want, I’ve known **_exactly_** what I want, have wanted, for _**years.**_ ” He lifted his head, staring Jughead in the eye with unwavering determination. “What I want is you. What I have always wanted is you.” 

Jughead scoffed. “Cliché much Andrews?” Archie growled, and that alone was enough to shock its way through Jughead’s defensive armor, the primal sound ringing out from Archie’s throat. “ _ **Listen**_ to me _**damn it.**_ ” Jughead’s jaw locked as he grit his teeth, but he didn’t say anything, nor did he pull away. Archie seemed to deflate ever so slightly, shoulders slumping as golden-lit eyes softened. “You’re the most important person in the world to me after my Dad, Juggie. I trust you, more than anyone. I love you, more than anyone, in ways and to an extent that I can’t even begin to understand or explain. What I want, more than **_anything_** is to be with you, to be close to you, to spend my damn life next to you.” He was practically pleading now, and that fact was lost on neither his tone nor on Jughead.

“Jug, you’ve been my best friend since we were children, you’ve basically been the counterbalance to my life and the center of my world since we could walk!” His features twisted in pain and regret, seeing it laid a crack in Jughead’s armor, like the fracturing in tree bark after lightning strikes. “And yeah, I forced myself to forget when I realized that how I loved you…wasn’t growing,” He chuckled mirthlessly. “I’m not sure it could at this point, but started…changing. Juggie, I was terrified.” A bitter laugh fell from his lips, the harshness of it so wrong coming from Archie’s voice that Jughead almost flinched. “Hell, I still am! Terrified that I would lose the most important person in my life, the one person who means more to me than _**anything**_ , because my feelings changed.” He stopped then, whether to take a breath or something else Jughead didn’t know. Archie hung his head and slowly took a deep breath, when he looked back at Jughead it was almost shy, and he didn’t raise his head all the way. “Jug…What I want is to be as close to you as possible and share my life with you…however you’ll let me. And if that means forgetting _**how**_ I love you and just being your friend, then I will do that.”

Jughead believed him, never mind the break in his voice, he believed every word. Jughead hung his head and sighed deeply, shaking his head as he rubbed at his eyes with his non-captive hand. “I really am an ass sometimes, aren’t I?” He muttered. It startled a laugh out of Archie, followed by a quiet mumble of “You get used to that.” Jughead couldn’t help but grin as he tilted his head back and considered his friend. He sighed, “You are my best friend Arch, you know that, and I love you because of that. But no, that isn’t the only way I love you, there’s…more to it than that. And yeah, if I could spend the rest of my life with you, I would, happily… but you know **_some_** of the baggage I come with… you really want to do that?”

Archie grinned at him, eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that betrayed just how happy he was. “So I’ll help carry it, gladly.” He shrugged lightly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Jughead huffed a soft laugh and righted his head, watching Archie fondly. “Archie?” The boy in question hummed at him, an invitation to continue. “Can…I kiss you?”

Archie’s smile was as blinding as it was filled with love. “Yeah. Yeah Juggie, you can.”

So he did. Jughead, finally released from Archie’s hold, reached out and gently cupped the redhead’s jaw. Carefully, almost timidly, he ducked his head forward and pressed their lips together. He could feel Archie smile into the kiss for a handful of seconds before the boy pressed back against him, slotting their lips together easily. 

Cheryl smirked to herself as she paused the recording and watched the video file complete its transfer to Archie Andrew's and Jughead Jones' phones. No one had noticed her recording it, and no one had thought to question the presence of her phone in hand. She'd keep a copy for herself, but she wouldn't share it amongst anyone else until they were ready. With that she turned to leave, looping her arm with a grinning Kevin’s and motioned for the others to follow. Not waiting, she walked away, giving the newfound couple the privacy they needed to explore their bond in peace.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are amazing, so please leave some! But I love talking with my readers, so comments please!!! Three words or long paragraphs, I don't care, it'll make my day! <3


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